


This is On You

by Tookbaggins



Category: Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Cass Centric, Gen, Immediately post season one, Spoilers, Varian is a mess because by all rights he really should be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 09:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15682233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tookbaggins/pseuds/Tookbaggins
Summary: There was no sob story, no excuse for the things he had done. It was no one's fault but his own and as a member of the guard she owed him no sympathy. As Cassandra she owed him none.As Cassie, however.. she needed to understand.





	This is On You

**Author's Note:**

> I binged season one in one day about three weeks ago and wrote this the next morning, I've been finishing and editing it all this time. 
> 
> I feel like Cassandra would have some conflicting feelings after everything that happened and she would want to put those feelings to rest before she could focus on other things. The series glossed over that sort of aftermath, though.
> 
> Likewise, as focused as he is Varian is still a kid and has a lot on his shoulders.

Cassandra seldom visited the castle dungeons. She'd never had reason to, aside from spending one night there herself. Still, she'd studied their layout well, knew each and every dank, dark cell and its architectural weaknesses. She knew it almost intimately. So then.. why did her steps falter? Why did she stop herself at that last turn before she found the cell she'd been aiming for? 

She knew. It was hesitance. Hesitance to look into familiar eyes and see a stranger. Where once kindness and earnestness had shone as brightly as the sundrop something dark and twisted hid now. Something hurt would glare out at her. She'd seen it in Old Corona. Inwardly she knew she'd see it again here. No matter how casual their friendship had been the change was so jarring it was hard for even her to see.

Pushing a breath out forcefully, Cassandra straightened a little taller. Varian had brought this on himself. There was no sob story, no excuse for the things he had done. It was no one's fault but his own and as a member of the guard she owed him no sympathy. As Cassandra she owed him none.

Cassie, however.. needed to understand. She needed answers, and even knowing he was stubborn enough to not give any up here she was hiding around the corner from his cell and working up the nerve to face him. 

Had he had them fooled all this time? It was the only logical explanation in her mind, and she used the thought to steel herself, a frown settling on her face. He'd been trying to get close to them all this time, maybe. Rapunzel for her resources. Cassandra herself for her protocol and security knowledge.

Only it didn't fit. None of it did. _That_ thought wasn't going to help her with this. No matter his motivations, Varian was a criminal now. Not a friend. She scowled, moving to stand outside the bars of his cell, glancing in. Not being on an exterior wall this cell had no high windows to allow in bare wisps of sunlight. For a moment, even with adjusted eyes all she could see was darkness and shadows. It wasn't until a flicker of movement caught her eye that she saw Rudiger's ringed tail on the cot, his eyes taking her in as tiny pinpricks of light in the darkness. They sent a sting of guilt and sadness through her. The animal must love Varian to follow the boy into a place like this. A rustle of cloth sounded in the dark and Rudiger moved as the boy beneath him shifted uneasily. He blended in so well Cassandra hadn't even seen him at first.

"What do you want?" His voice was scratchy and hoarse, and she wondered if he'd been crying. Maybe he'd been shouting. Even the soft rasp of it was loud in the mostly empty dungeons. She should have known he'd hear her coming.

"Varian."

"Cassandra." She stiffened to fend off the sting of his tone, the unfamaliar way he addressed her.. but none came. Surprised at herself, she remembered again that he was a criminal. A small one with no one on his side but his pet. Her face softened slightly and she gripped the bars, staring in at him. "Say it and go. I'm not in the mood."

"What?"

"You've been lurking for the better part of twenty minutes. Obviously you have something to say." He moved to sit up, carefully relocating the raccoon in his lap when he'd resettled. "Or maybe you're just here to stare at the traitor." He turned to glare at her, face pale enough to show through the dark. There was no warmth there. "You're looking in the wrong place."

"Do you mean Rapunzel? That ridiculous."

"Shut up."

"She tries to help everyone, you know that. She's the last person who would do anything against Coro-"

"Corona??" He spat the word, his lips curling, although if it was directed at her or not Cassandra wasn't sure. "Who cares about Corona? It's never been better! Oh sure, the edges of the kingdom are a mess, falling apart and being overtaken by those.. by those black rocks but the castle town is perfect, so who cares? Who cares about a few poor villagers on the mainland? Who cares that their farms are being destroyed? Their houses? Their _families."_

"What are you talking about? Old Corona? Varian there wasn't even anyone there but you! They moved on to someplace safe! You should have gone with them." 

"I couldn't!" He surged to his feet and toward the bars, sending Rudiger scampering under the cot with a startled squeak. Despite herself, Cassandra stepped back, her eyes widening slightly. "I couldn't just go and leave him! You - none of you - pay attention to anything outside your castle! Outside your princess! She has you all fooled! The king has you all fooled! Oh there's nothing to worry about! There's no one that _really_ needs your help!"

"What are you-"

"She promised! She promised me!" He tried to shake the bars, his thin arms yanking uselessly at the iron. Panic was clearly overwhelming him as his voice rose in pitch and broke. It was pitiful. "I needed her and she promised she'd help me but she never came! They threw me out and I did everything I could, Cass! Everything! A-And I thought - I thought I'll _make_ her help me! But then, it didn't work..It was _too late.." ___

__Cassandra could only stare at first. This was not the Varian she had expected to see. Where was the cold, calculating boy that had fought them? He'd held himself together and had plans and weapons, and those things had made him an enemy. A villain. This was.. something else. A broken, desperate.. child. She'd always felt that difference of age between them but it was bewildering to experience it so sharply in this dark, hopeless cell. She watched, her face blank as he finally gave up on the bars, sliding down to rest on his knees, his face disappearing as he rested his dark hair against the bars. Still he gripped them, his hands beginning a shaking that slowly spread through his whole body. A tiny sound broke out of him and she realized the trembling was from the sobs he held in._ _

__She moved no closer, but she did crouch down closer to his level, her voice gentler than she'd thought it could be in that place. "Varian.. "_ _

__"Go a-away.. "_ _

__"Tell me what happened."_ _

__"No, it doesn't matter. You won't do anything, either."_ _

__"I can't help if I don't know how." She prodded gently. Hesitantly she reached out to touch his hands on the bars but he pulled them back into the cell and out of her reach._ _

__"You won't do anything. It's probably too late, now, anyway." He sniffed wetly, slowly pushing himself up and wobbling over to the cot. He laid down slowly and curled in on himself. Rudiger ventured up to drape over him comfortingly. "Too late.. "_ _

__"Varian." He ignored her, even when she called again. Cassandra waited in silence for what felt like a long time before she sighed and stood. Varian was obviously done talking. Or perhaps too tired out to continue. He didn't seem to be doing well. When he continued to ignore her Cassandra sighed. "It has to do with the rocks. I know that much. We've going to be leaving soon, to follow them and find out where they come from. Maybe how to get rid of them. Maybe.. Maybe that'll help if it's not too late." She heard him shift a little, the only acknowledgement that he was listening anymore. No more answer came and Cassandra knew that waiting for one would be pointless._ _

__"Good-bye, Varian." The words hurt a little as they came out, but not as much as the small voice that followed her from the darkness._ _

__"Good-bye, Cassie." Her steps did not falter._ _


End file.
